Alberta's longest, coldest motorized ice race has been cancelled due to bad weather for what could be the first time in history.
This Saturday was to be the 23rd annual Numb Bum 24, an event where riders try to race quads and motorbikes on the frozen surface of Sandy Lake for 24 hours straight. The event has been called off due to bad ice.
It was a tough call to make, says organizer Dan Cheron, who announced the cancellation in late January, but it had to be done. "The safety of the people is our first concern."
A replacement six-hour race has been scheduled for Feb. 20 at Bonnyville's Moose Lake.
It was a combination of heavy, early snow and above-zero temperatures, Cheron says. "The first snowfall came way too early," he explains, and dumped a lot of weight on Sandy Lake when it was barely frozen. That cracked the ice, causing it to flood to a depth of about 30 centimetres. The thick snow insulated that layer of water, preventing the water from freezing.
Tests in late January found that the lake had just 36 centimetres of ice under just as much water, Cheron says — they need about 56 centimetres for a safe race. "Throughout the whole month of January, we never gained a single inch of ice."
This is likely the first time in the event's 28-year history that it's been called off due to weather, Cheron says. It has previously been cancelled for administrative reasons. "Mother Nature always has the last word."
It's disheartening to see the race cancelled like this, says Curtis Ryll, president of the Alberta Endurance Ice Racing Association. "That race is a true test of everyone and their machines," he says, and is greatly anticipated. "[It] separates the men from the boys."
Weather wreaks havoc
First run at Clairmont Lake in 1983, the Numb Bum has been listed in the Guinness World Book of Records as the world's longest, coldest ice race and usually draws about 100 people.
Scott Bell, a mechanic at St. Albert's Riverside Honda and Ski-Doo, has been a regular participant since 1991. It's disappointing to see it cancelled, he says, but it wasn't safe to run it.
This whole season has been pretty hit-and-miss because of the weather, Bell notes. The Grande Prairie Studs on Ice event got shut down after three hours because of water and cold temperatures, with one water hole freezing his wife's quad out of the race.
Racers were dropping out of that race after one lap due to heavy frostbite, Ryll notes. "We ran that race at -30 C, and believe it or not we still had water on the track."
Snow and warmth have caused ice problems at many races north of St. Albert, he says, including the recently cancelled one at George Lake. "This year has been the worst for flooding in many years."
Racers at Leduc's Telford Lake lucked out last weekend, he notes — although warm weather had forced the closure of every skating rink in town, the ice on the lake was still thick enough to host the event. The lake only had a thin layer of snow on it in January and crews were able to clear it to help the ice form.
Three more races are scheduled this season, Ryll says: one each at Moose Lake, Chip Lake and Slave Lake. This week's forecast suggests a few days of cold followed by a warmer weekend — ideal conditions for the Moose Lake race. The Chip Lake race is on thin ice right now but organizers hope the lake will be ready in time for the event.
Cheron was confident the Numb Bum would return in 2012. "Next year, we'll be back."
See aeira.com for updates on ice races.
